Excerpts from the autobiographies
R Krishna Das
One of the highlights of Rajiv’s ascension to power was the series of accords he signed to bring back peace in troubled states.
“Rajivji had toured extensively in the meantime. Once while on tour he sent me a message to meet him at the airport on arrival,” says M L Fotedar in his memoirs The Chinar Leaves.
It was not normally the practice to receive the prime minister on his return from domestic tours. Fotedar went to the airport, where Rajiv Gandhi asked him to identify a suitable political person for appointment as governor of Punjab. He said there was a problem in three states: Punjab, Assam and Mizoram.
He stressed the urgency of the matter, and the need to find s solution. Fotedar recalls, Rajiv was firm on the point that the governor should be a person who would directly report to him and not be under the influence of Giani Zail Singh- as Punjab had been made problematic by Gianiji by propping up Sant Bhindranwale when he was an unknown entity as a counter to the Akalis.
He did not want something merely cosmetic, or transient. He wanted substantive improvement, and was looking for an approach and results which would strengthen the nation, even if the Congress party were not the immediate gainer. He had the long- term national interest uppermost in mind. He was viewing issues and situations with the vision of a real prime minister.
“It took me fifteen long days to suggest names. By the process of elimination, I identified and suggested two names: Arjun Singh and Hari Dev Joshi. All points in favour of Arjun Singh, including his having a good deal of influence amongst Sikhs and intimate association with important Sikh leaders; he was non-controversial in Punjab; he was not in any way associated with Giani Zail Singh; and he had no direct interests in Punjab.
Besides, Arjun Singh was very political. Hari Dev Joshi too had all the requisite qualifications, including cordial relations with sikh leaders. But his state – Rajasthan- had some pending, unresolved river water problems with Punjab. So, between the two, Fotedar suggested Arjun Singh as the first preference, and Hari Dev Joshi as the second.
Rajiv Gandhi considered the names and indicated his preference for Arjun Singh. Next, he wanted to know about the timing of the appointment. Fotedar said they should wait for the results of the assembly elections and if Arjun Singh got a two- thirds majority it would be appropriate to send him as governor of Punjab. It came to pass that Arjun Singh had done even better, securing a three-fourths majority.
In Rajasthan, the Congress party won 115 out of 200 seats in the assembly. Hari Dev Joshi was chosen as the chief minister.
It was decided that Arjun Singh should be elected leader of the Congress legislative party, and thereafter be appointed chief minister and administered the oath of office. “I was advised to tell him that his council of ministers could be decided after he came to Delhi to meet the prime minister. Rajivji did not want to have another contender for the post of chief minister from within the Cabinet,” Fotedar says in his memoirs.
On 8 March 1985, Arjun Singh came to meet the prime minister. He asked the prime minister as to who would speak to Arjun Singh first. He was of the firm opinion that he would talk directly with Arjun Singh. Arjun Singh was regarded as close to Fotedar.
The prime minister asked Fotedar and Arun Nehru who should be Arjun Singh’s successor. Fotedar said they could have Moti Lal Vora, a senior Congress leader who had been in Arjun Singh’s cabinet. Arun Nehru said he would prefer Digvijaya Singh as Chief Minister and Vora as the PCC president.
Arjun Singh came at 5 pm to meet the prime minister. Within 20 minutes, he left the room and went rushing back to Madhya Pradesh Bhavan- without even meeting Fotedar. “I became a bit apprehensive, but retained my claim. Meanwhile the prime minister called me two or three times to discuss other matters, but did not divulge anything about his meeting with Arjun Singh,” Fotedar says.
At about 8 pm, Rajiv Gandhi left for 1 Safdarjung Road. Fotedar accompanied him. Even at that point, he did not share with him what had transpired at the meeting. “I could not contain myself any longer and asked him about it,” he says, adding Rajivji said, ‘He has agreed to go to Punjab- not tomorrow but today itself. He was of the opinion that the sooner it is done, the better.’
Fotedar asked him his choice for the chief minister and the PCC president. He smiled and said, ‘what you had indicated.’
Rajiv Gandhi advised Arjun Singh to contact Moti Lal Vora and tell him he (Fotedar) had suggested his name, and later, after some time, tell Digvijaya.
Rajiv Gandhi also told him Vora’s cabinet would be of his choice and the same would be the case in the PCC as far as its members went.
Similarly, in 1988, S S Gill recalls in his biography The Dynasty, Rajiv asked Arjun Singh to resign as Chief Minister following a High Court judgment and wanted Madhav Rao Scindia to be elected in his place.
“Although Arjun Singh agreed to resign, he also fomented a revolt by the Congress MLAs against the high command order,” Gill says. Central observers led by Buta Singh were sent to oversee the election. “They were abused, booed and manhandled,” Gills adds.
Ultimately, Madhav Rao, the prime minister’s nominee, had to retreat and Moti Lal Vora was installed as the Chief Minister for a second term.
